Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have claimed they were placed under house arrest to prevent them from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada on Kashmir Martyrs’ Day.
Mehbooba Mufti, president of the Peoples Democratic Party, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share images of her residence’s gate being locked. “The gates of my house have been locked up yet again to prevent me from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada – an enduring symbol of Kashmir’s resistance and resilience against authoritarianism, oppression, and injustice. The sacrifice of our martyrs is a testament that the spirit of Kashmiris cannot be crushed,” she tweeted. “Today even observing it in remembrance of the protesters martyred on this day has been criminalized,” she added.
Each year on July 13, leaders of all mainstream parties visit Mazar-e-Shuhada in Srinagar to pay homage to 22 protesters who were gunned down by the army of the erstwhile Maharaja in 1931.
Hitting out at the Centre, the former Chief Minister said it was an attempt to “erase each one of our collective memories”. “On August 5, 2019, J&K was dismembered, disempowered and stripped of everything that was sacrosanct for us. Such assaults will only strengthen our determination to continue the fight for our rights and dignity,” she said.
Omar Abdullah, vice president of the National Conference, also expressed outrage on X over “police excesses” to stop people from paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives to establish a “just, fair and democratic regime” in J&K. “Another July 13, Martyr’s Day, another round of locked gates… Everywhere else in the country these people would have been celebrated, but in J&K the administration wants to ignore these sacrifices. This is the last year they will be able to do this. Insha Allah next year we will mark July 13 with the solemnity and respect this day deserves,” Abdullah said.
The lockdowns and restrictions have sparked criticism and raised questions about the freedom to commemorate significant historical events in Jammu and Kashmir. As the region approaches the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, tensions and political confrontations are expected to intensify.
